Seeking enlightenment on the Piccadilly Line
May 14, 2013 2:50 AM Subscribe
I have a stretch of half an hour or so each way in my daily commute where I am just sitting on the tube during nothing. I would like to use this time to meditate and am seeking things to put on my iPod to help me.
Even if silence were possible on the tube, I'm utterly unable to clear my mind to silence (or to white/ambient noise or things like binaural beats alone). I seem to need a certain level of background activity such as quiet chat that the constantly racing part of my brain can occupy itself with, leaving the rest of my mind to clear itself and relax.
Ideally what I would like is a thirty minute or so recording of the way my yoga teacher leads us in relaxation at the end of the class. She has very soothing, almost soporific voice and she just talks to us gently about vaguely calming things while we concentrate on relaxing and minding our breathing.
Are there any shortish, not necessarily guided but vocal meditation resources out there like this that I could download (A few MP3s? Podcasts?) and play back to myself to learn to be still while I'm speeding along under London?
Even if silence were possible on the tube, I'm utterly unable to clear my mind to silence (or to white/ambient noise or things like binaural beats alone). I seem to need a certain level of background activity such as quiet chat that the constantly racing part of my brain can occupy itself with, leaving the rest of my mind to clear itself and relax.
Ideally what I would like is a thirty minute or so recording of the way my yoga teacher leads us in relaxation at the end of the class. She has very soothing, almost soporific voice and she just talks to us gently about vaguely calming things while we concentrate on relaxing and minding our breathing.
Are there any shortish, not necessarily guided but vocal meditation resources out there like this that I could download (A few MP3s? Podcasts?) and play back to myself to learn to be still while I'm speeding along under London?
Are you an iPhone user? I like the Mindfulness app for this purpose. You can customize the length of the meditation and opt for a fully guided one, or for one with a guided intro and then a period of silence. The lady's voice is soothing, too, if you aren't averse to an American accent.
posted by stuck on an island at 5:49 AM on May 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by stuck on an island at 5:49 AM on May 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I'd advise against getting too relaxed, and instead try and find something that helps you to be mindful, but also brings you back up to a "ready to go" state before you complete your journey.
I found that if I was that nicely chilled out and relaxed, the contrast with having to suddenly revert to wide-awake, full throttle hyper aware to get yourself safely off the train (without forgetting things), up to the concourse, through the barrier with the right ticket, and interface with the city at a much faster pace than you've just been practicing is just too fast for comfort.
Instead, maintaining awareness and being mindful of the journey leads to arriving relaxed and de-stressed, but much better able to cope with the generally chaotic surroundings that you have very little control over.
It's not that a deep yoga relaxation is a bad thing - on the contrary, London would be a better place if more people did it -- it's just that commute time on the tube isn't usually an appropriate environment for it - for yourself or anyone else (except pickpockets).
There are many MP3s of guided meditations that emphasise mindfulness and awareness over relaxation that would be better suited to this use, try them at home before hand so you can check your state after the 30 mins.
These days I prefer to listen to the works of Alan Watts and the like, but Jon Kabat-Zinn is good for mindfulness. You might find something suitable here, here, or here.
posted by dirm at 5:54 AM on May 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
I found that if I was that nicely chilled out and relaxed, the contrast with having to suddenly revert to wide-awake, full throttle hyper aware to get yourself safely off the train (without forgetting things), up to the concourse, through the barrier with the right ticket, and interface with the city at a much faster pace than you've just been practicing is just too fast for comfort.
Instead, maintaining awareness and being mindful of the journey leads to arriving relaxed and de-stressed, but much better able to cope with the generally chaotic surroundings that you have very little control over.
It's not that a deep yoga relaxation is a bad thing - on the contrary, London would be a better place if more people did it -- it's just that commute time on the tube isn't usually an appropriate environment for it - for yourself or anyone else (except pickpockets).
There are many MP3s of guided meditations that emphasise mindfulness and awareness over relaxation that would be better suited to this use, try them at home before hand so you can check your state after the 30 mins.
These days I prefer to listen to the works of Alan Watts and the like, but Jon Kabat-Zinn is good for mindfulness. You might find something suitable here, here, or here.
posted by dirm at 5:54 AM on May 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
Adding on to dirm's suggestions, also take a look at dharmaseed.org, which compiles talks by countless teachers in the western Buddhist tradition, as well as guided mindfulness and lovingkindness meditations.
posted by janey47 at 6:59 AM on May 14, 2013
posted by janey47 at 6:59 AM on May 14, 2013
Response by poster: I'd advise against getting too relaxed, and instead try and find something that helps you to be mindful, but also brings you back up to a "ready to go" state before you complete your journey.
That's a very helpful and relevant consideration, thanks dirm. I might *feel* as though I do my commute with only about 3% of my brain but the reality of being mostly elsewhere might be different! I'll think in terms of the things you suggest.
posted by Acarpous at 7:35 AM on May 14, 2013
That's a very helpful and relevant consideration, thanks dirm. I might *feel* as though I do my commute with only about 3% of my brain but the reality of being mostly elsewhere might be different! I'll think in terms of the things you suggest.
posted by Acarpous at 7:35 AM on May 14, 2013
Just sit, and feel. Feel all the things in your body. If you have specific issues going on in your life, think about them slowly, and feel all the physical sensations that come up as you do, without mentally jumping up and trying to analyze/control/predict things. If your life is peachy, then just feel. Look at the other commuters (discreetly!) and notice how you feel in response to each of them. In your heart, wish each one well, even those you find a little dicey. And finally, focus on your heart chakra (the centre of your chest). Allow it to gently relax and open up. Keep it open as long as possible.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 10:30 AM on May 14, 2013
posted by St. Peepsburg at 10:30 AM on May 14, 2013
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That's because doing so is hard. Building that skill requires thousands of hours of practice.
posted by flabdablet at 3:45 AM on May 14, 2013